Liberation Wiki

De-Googled Android ROM and ecosystem by Murena, offering a privacy-respecting mobile experience free of Google services.

W3C standard protocol for decentralized social networking — the lingua franca of the fediverse, enabling Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed, and others to interoperate.

Network-wide ad and tracker blocking at the DNS level, runs on your own server or router.

Open-source password manager with end-to-end encryption, self-hostable, audited and community-trusted.

Decentralized social network built on the Authenticated Transfer protocol, enabling portable identity and composable feeds.

Privacy-focused browser with built-in ad and tracker blocking, based on Chromium.

Search engine that uses its profits for reforestation and runs on renewable energy.

Open-source, end-to-end encrypted photo and video backup — on-device AI for facial recognition and search, with three-location redundancy including an underground facility.

Community-maintained catalog of free and open-source Android apps — the antidote to Google Play's walled garden, with reproducible builds and no tracking.

The decentralized social network — thousands of interoperable servers running Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Lemmy, and other fediverse platforms, connected via ActivityPub.

Mozilla's open-source web browser — the last major non-Chromium browser, committed to user privacy with Enhanced Tracking Protection and anti-fingerprinting.

Open-source desktop YouTube player that prevents Google from tracking you. Subscriptions are stored locally, no account needed.

Open-source keyboard for Android that avoids cloud data collection and predictive text surveillance.

Privacy and security hardened AOSP-based mobile OS — removes Google services by default, implements hardened memory allocators, enhanced sandboxing, and exploit mitigations.

Cross-platform video aggregator that unifies YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms into one privacy-focused app with no ads or tracking.

An open-source, self-hosted AI agent by Nous Research that mediates tasks through natural conversation via Telegram, with persistent memory, skills, and tool integrations.

Open-source alternative front-end for YouTube. Self-hosted, privacy-focused, no ads, no tracking, no Google account required.

Free, open-source media server. Self-hosted alternative to Plex with no tracking, no paywalls, and full client support across devices.

Offline, open-source password manager — database stays on your device, no cloud, no subscription. Audited and community-trusted as the local-first alternative to Bitwarden.

Free and open-source Android distribution that extends device life and removes vendor bloatware.

Open-source operating system kernel and ecosystem — the backbone of free computing from servers to desktops to phones.

Decentralized microblogging platform built on ActivityPub — no single owner, no ads, no algorithmic timeline. The flagship of the fediverse.

Minimalist, self-hosted RSS reader focused on simplicity and privacy. No tracking, no ads, no social features.

Privacy-focused cryptocurrency — all transactions are obscured by default using ring signatures, stealth addresses, and RingCT. The leading tool for financial privacy.

Privacy-hardened browser built by the Tor Project for Mullvad — Tor Browser technology without the Tor network, designed for VPN use.

Swedish VPN provider known for radical transparency — account numbers instead of emails, cash payments, independent security audits confirming no-logs, and an open-source client.

Lightweight, privacy-friendly YouTube client for Android — no Google services required.

Self-hosted productivity platform — file sync, calendar, contacts, office suite, and more. The open-source replacement for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Collaborative, open-source map of the world — a privacy-respecting alternative to Google Maps.

Offline-first, open-source maps built on OpenStreetMap data — no tracking, no ads, no data collection. The privacy-respecting alternative to Google Maps.

Decentralized and federated video platform — no ads, no tracking, no algorithm. Peer-to-peer streaming reduces server costs, ActivityPub enables federation.

Large-scale deliberation platform that maps public opinion and finds consensus using statistical modeling.

Swiss-based encrypted email, VPN, calendar and storage suite — privacy by design with end-to-end encryption.

Security-focused desktop OS that isolates workloads into discrete qubes (VMs) — compartmentalization by design so a compromised app cannot take over the system.

Open-source encrypted messaging app by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — the Signal Protocol provides end-to-end encryption for text, voice, and video with minimal metadata collection.

Open-source peer-to-peer file synchronization — replace cloud sync with direct device-to-device transfer, fully encrypted, no central server required.

Amnesic Incognito Live System — a portable OS that routes all traffic through Tor and leaves no trace on the host computer. Used by journalists and activists worldwide.

Mesh VPN built on WireGuard that creates secure overlay networks for devices across any network.

Anonymity network and browser that routes traffic through volunteer-operated servers to protect identity and location.

German-based end-to-end encrypted email service — encrypts subject lines, headers, contacts, and calendar entries, stored exclusively on German servers.

Efficient, open-source content blocker for browsers — the gold standard for ad and tracker filtering.

Browser extension that removes YouTube's addictive UI elements — recommendations, sidebar, autoplay, shorts. Reduces distraction without blocking access.

Modern, minimal VPN protocol — only 4,000 lines of code, formally verified, cryptographically sound. The successor to OpenVPN and IPsec, now built into the Linux kernel.

Privacy-respecting ways to access YouTube: NewPipe, Greyjay, Unhook, Piped, SponsorBlock, ReVanced.

Modular, ethically-sourced smartphone designed for repairability and fair supply chains.

Modular, repairable, upgradable laptop — the antithesis of planned obsolescence.

AI ethics manifesto from the Institute for Ethics in AI — six principles for building AI that cares.

Anarchist operational security guide — practical opsec for activists and privacy-seekers.

Comprehensive comparison tables across tech categories — Android ROMs, browsers, messengers, cloud/email providers, Linux distros, desktop environments, payment methods, and digital freedom by country.

Essay arguing that algorithmic feeds are the root mechanism of attention capture and should be replaced with intentional consumption.

Advocacy campaign to keep Android open and prevent Google from locking down the ecosystem.

Free speech law and technology institute — published the foundational "Protocols, Not Platforms" paper.

FOIA and public records platform — tools for filing, tracking, and analyzing freedom of information requests.

Community-driven, evidence-based recommendations for privacy-respecting software and services — browsers, messengers, VPNs, email, operating systems, and more. The successor to PrivacyTools.io.

Privacy news and analysis from the Proton team — tracking big tech data requests, government surveillance, and privacy policy.

Framework treating engineering as the most transformative language of our time — engineers must consider how their work reshapes power.

Alternative computing paradigm — argues for computing that resonates with human cognition rather than exploiting its vulnerabilities.

The systematic undermining of human autonomy by attention-optimized technology. James Williams identifies three levels: spotlight (momentary distraction — forgetting why you picked up your phone), starlight (erosion of long-term goals), and daylight (loss of coherent self-narrative and the ability to choose what you want to want). The agency problem is upstream of climate action, democratic participation, and collective problem-solving.

The privacy implications of AI chatbots — every conversation is training data, every prompt can be subpoenaed. Local LLMs and self-hosted models offer a way out of the surveillance feedback loop.

The field and movement concerned with ensuring AI systems remain beneficial and do not cause catastrophic harm.

The economic system where human attention is the scarce resource and platforms compete to capture, hold, and monetize it.

The use of live traffic experiments, hyper-optimized statistical methods, and AI to split-test the world's population and optimize for target behaviors — more scrolling, more watching, more clicking. Google and Meta run thousands of experiments that subtly alter the behaviors, beliefs, and values of billions. Tristan Harris calls it "a race to the bottom of the brainstem."

The degradation of attention and cognition caused by algorithmic content feeds, short-form video, and engagement-maximizing design.

Internet censorship — from DNS poisoning to full-scale firewalls — and the tools and protocols that circumvent it: VPNs, Tor, domain fronting, and encrypted DNS.

The hidden cost of using AI assistants — short-term convenience that accumulates long-term cognitive weakness, like technical debt for the brain.

Viral open-source licensing (GPL, AGPL) that requires derivative works to remain free — the legal backbone of the software commons.

Vitalik Buterin's framework: accelerate the development of defensive, democratizing technologies rather than all technology indiscriminately.

Deceptive UI/UX techniques designed to manipulate users into actions they didn't intend — endless scroll, autoplay, red notification badges, friction-less opt-in. Coined by Harry Brignull.

The privacy principle of collecting and retaining only the minimum data necessary — the opposite of Big Tech's hoard-everything paradigm. Less data collected means less data to breach, misuse, or subpoena.

The right to have your personal data deleted — from data brokers, people-search sites, and corporate databases. GDPR's "right to erasure" made it law; services like EasyOptOuts and data broker opt-outs make it practical.

Carole Cadwalladr's term for the alliance between tech oligarchs and authoritarian governments that subverts democratic processes.

Cognitive decline linked to over-reliance on digital devices — reduced memory, attention, and critical thinking capacity.

Using technology to strengthen democratic participation, deliberation, and transparency — rather than undermine them.

A communication paradigm where only the communicating parties can read the messages — no intermediary, including the service provider, can access plaintext. The single most important property for digital autonomy.

Cory Doctorow's term for platform decay: first platforms are good to users, then to advertisers, then to themselves — each phase making things worse for everyone else.

European regulation forcing Big Tech gatekeepers to open their platforms — interoperable messaging, third-party app stores, and portability. The most consequential digital regulation since GDPR.

The argument that algorithmic feeds — not individual apps — are the core mechanism of attention capture and should be replaced with intentional consumption.

Software that grants users the freedom to run, study, modify, and distribute it — the foundation of digital autonomy.

The tension between platform moderation and expression — Section 230, government takedowns, content moderation at scale, and who decides what speech is allowed on the internet.

Resistance as a value — the counter-argument to Silicon Valley's frictionless ideal. Intentional friction protects attention, deliberation, and autonomy.

The practice of using misleading environmental claims to obscure real environmental impact. Tech companies report selective metrics (e.g., market-based emissions instead of actual), tout efficiency gains that enable more consumption (see Jevons Paradox), and publish sustainability reports while core business models drive ecological harm.

The self-serving logic that equates metric growth with user value. More usage does not equal more value — growth can mean addiction, deception, and enshittification. When platforms optimize for engagement metrics, they conflate "what keeps people scrolling" with "what serves people best."

The deliberate choice to use (or not use) a tool, as opposed to using it by default — making conscious decisions about technology rather than accepting frictionless defaults.

The inverse of dark patterns: access mechanisms deliberately designed to promote human agency — blocking by default, restoring on purpose, conversation before consumption, reflection after.

The fundamental inscrutability of deep learning systems deployed at population scale. When search ranking, content recommendation, and language generation are governed by massive neural networks, no one can fully explain why a particular result was served. Black-box AI deployed to billions creates systemic risk — we cannot fix what we cannot understand.

Hardware whose designs are publicly available — from RISC-V processors to Framework laptops and Fairphone modules. The physical layer of digital autonomy: you can't be free in software if your hardware is a black box.

Foucault's model of surveillance society: when people feel they might always be watched, they internalize control and discipline themselves.

The progress narrative assumes technology inevitably improves the human condition — but what if it doesn't? This topic examines the ideology of technological progress, the myth of neutral design, and the case for intentional, values-driven technology.

Glen Weyl and Audrey Tang's framework for democratic technology that embraces social diversity rather than flattening it.

The right to control your own data, identity, and attention — not just secrecy, but the condition for autonomy and self-determination.

The thesis that decentralized protocols (like email, AT Protocol) are more resilient than centralized platforms because they enable competition, exit, and user ownership.

The movement to ensure people can fix their own devices — against manufacturer lock-in, parts monopolies, and software restrictions.

Digital security as the practical foundation for autonomy — strong accounts, encrypted communications, and minimized attack surface.

Running your own services (email, DNS, media, files) on hardware you control — maximum autonomy, minimum dependence on cloud platforms.

The tension between smart home convenience and the surveillance it enables — from always-listening speakers to fridges that show ads.

The process by which platforms sort users into legible behavioral categories, offering the appearance of personalization while homogenizing individual variation into predictable, algorithmically managed segments. Coined by Lawrence Busch; applied to tech platforms by the Consilience Project.

Systems that learn from past interactions are inherently pro-status-quo. Recommendation algorithms reinforce existing power dynamics by amplifying what already has traction. LLMs trained on internet data reproduce the internet's biases at scale. Search ranking based on interaction patterns creates a winner-takes-all information ecosystem that entrenches incumbents and suppresses radical alternatives.

Shoshana Zuboff's framework: a new economic logic where human experience is mined as raw material for behavioral prediction and modification.

Yanis Varoufakis's thesis: capitalism has been replaced by a new system where cloud platforms extract rents like feudal lords, not market competition.

McLuhan's core insight that a medium's form reshapes perception and social organization regardless of its content — the channel changes us more than what it carries.

From the meme: "It's like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel... wait, I'm building the Torment Nexus." Tech companies building the dystopia they were warned about.

E-commerce and cloud giant. AWS powers much of the internet; Alexa pioneered always-listening home surveillance; price-fixing and labor exploitation documented.

Hardware and services giant known for the "walled garden" — tightly integrated devices, OS, App Store, and cloud services that make exit expensive.

The world's largest surveillance capitalist. Search, mobile OS, browser, email, video, AI — Google mediates more of daily life than any other single entity.

Social media conglomerate running Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads. Founding case study in surveillance capitalism and attention manipulation.

OS and cloud giant. Windows dominates desktops; BitLocker encryption keys shared with FBI; Azure competes with AWS for government contracts.

GPU monopoly powering the AI boom. Nvidia's chips are the bottleneck for every AI company — making them the most powerful gatekeeper in the AI supply chain.

AI company behind ChatGPT. Originally non-profit, now effectively controlled by Microsoft. Whistleblower deaths, researcher resignations, and safety concerns follow it.

Data analytics company building surveillance infrastructure for governments. Tapped by the Trump administration to compile data on Americans.

Forum platform that voluntarily gave DHS info on anti-ICE users. Community-driven content, corporate-controlled surveillance.

Electronics giant that put ads in US refrigeridges — a symbol of enshittification reaching into every corner of daily life.

Music streaming platform that collects extensive user data — listening habits, location, device info, and inferences about mood and behavior — sharing it with advertisers and third parties.

EV and tech company under Elon Musk. Workers shared sensitive customer images; Musk's political entanglements raise questions about data sovereignty.

Short-form video platform owned by ByteDance (China). The world's most potent attention-extraction engine — algorithmically addictive, data-hungry, and politically contested.

Social media platform acquired by Elon Musk in 2022 for $44 billion. Mass layoffs gutted trust and safety; hate speech rose ~50%; inauthentic accounts persisted; twitter.com domain retired in 2025. A case study in enshittification and platform capture.

Founded by Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin. Advocates for technology that respects human attention, agency, and well-being.

Think tank analyzing how big tech reshapes governance and the systemic risks of platform power.

Digital rights organization defending civil liberties in the digital world — legal advocacy, encryption, privacy, and free speech.

A coalition of workers in and around the tech industry, labor organizers, and community organizers building worker power through rank-and-file self-organization and education. Democratically structured, all-volunteer, and worker-led. Superset of the Alphabet Workers Union — TWC organizes across the entire tech industry, not just Google.

Musician and tech commentator covering privacy, AI, internet infrastructure, and the economics of the attention economy.

De-Googling, Linux, and privacy-focused hardware advocacy. Practical guides for escaping Big Tech ecosystems.

Founded by Tristan Harris. Advocates for technology that respects human attention, agency, and well-being.

Digital rights organization — legal advocacy, encryption, privacy, and free speech. Talks, legal analysis, and policy discussions.

Fast-paced tech news and open source coverage. Concise, high-signal explanations of tools, frameworks, and tech industry trends.

Free software advocacy and anti-Big Tech. FUTO funds independent developers and fights for user freedom.

GNCA Investigates — tech investigations and deep dives into digital surveillance, privacy, and corporate power.

Linux tutorials, self-hosting guides, and system administration. From beginner to advanced Linux skills.

Right-to-repair advocacy channel. Repair technician turned legislator — exposing Apple, Google, and manufacturer hostility to user freedom.

Linux, FOSS, privacy, and anti-Big Tech commentary. Practical guides for self-hosting and de-Googling.

Privacy journalist and educator — accessible, jargon-free guides to de-Googling, digital security, and protecting your data.

Privacy guides, threat modeling, and de-Googling tutorials. Accessible privacy education for non-technical users.

Tech critique channel exploring why modern digital life feels off — algorithmic manipulation, platform decay, and attention extraction.

Community for reducing and eliminating dependence on Google services — alternatives, guides, and discussion.

Free and open source Android apps — alternatives to proprietary apps for your phone.

Community for home lab enthusiasts — servers, networking, virtualization, and self-hosted infrastructure.

Linux news, discussion, and community — the hub for all things Linux.

Open source software news, projects, and philosophy.

Operational security community — threat modeling, privacy practices, and security culture for individuals and organizations.

Digital privacy news, discussion, and guides — the central Reddit community for privacy awareness.

Community for self-hosting software, services, and infrastructure. Practical guides, tool comparisons, and troubleshooting.

Laura Poitras's documentary on Edward Snowden's NSA leak — real-time footage of the whistleblower in a Hong Kong hotel room.

Snowden's autobiography — from CIA technologist to the most wanted whistleblower in history.

Attention as the most valuable resource — how technology's "light" (notifications, feeds, alerts) obscures our goals and values.

Why our attention is being stolen — not by personal failure, but by systemic design. Hari traces the forces profiting from our distraction.

Capitalism killed itself and was replaced by something worse — cloud rents, platform fiefdoms, and the end of markets.

The definitive work on surveillance capitalism — how Google and Facebook turned human experience into raw material for behavioral prediction.

The "great rewiring of childhood" — how smartphones and social media caused the teen mental health crisis.

Max Fisher's 2022 book documenting how social media algorithms — especially YouTube's recommendation engine — have been linked to real-world political violence, from genocide in Myanmar to far-right radicalization in Germany and Brazil.

How social media radicalized politics and rewired democracy — from Myanmar to the US Capitol.

The foundational book on how the internet is rewiring our brains — reducing deep reading, sustained attention, and contemplative thought.

2020 documentary-drama exposing how social media companies manipulate users for profit. Features Tristan Harris and CHT insiders.